CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1

5

8

9

10

11 12

14

16

18

20

21

22

23

Avoid ewes straying around church (6) Begs for soft metals? (6) Bewilder for at least 48 hours, say (4) US came, I ran off! (8)

Stuck on case with head detective (8) Dull boy? (4) Speech‑maker appearing in laboratory (6) Sort of seed, half seed no different (6) Stupid person? Get away! (4)

No strike in bad year for the agent (8)

On drugs, say, number to increase (8) Initially the ward inspection nurse is one of a pair (4) Large rodent, light brown colour, makes wickerwork material (6) Listen in to insect (6)

DOWN 2

3

4

5

6

7 13

15 17

19

Wild threats upset terribly (7) Animal’s laugh suppresses longing (5) Beware heat perhaps, number tanned by the elements (7‑6) Unravelling concise ESP, due to false methodology (13) Riddles cracked in games (7) Delivered port on time (5 Little child sheltering close at hand this evening (7)

Boy needs one drink (7) Twisted a rope for musical entertainment (5 Deity torturing rats around start of year (5)

Entries to: Easy and/or Cryptic Crossword, The Sunday Post, Speirs View, 50 High

Craighall Road, Glasgow G4 9UD. ((Closing date : Txhxu x rs)day, 18, 2021)

ACROSS

1 Experienced, knowing (7‑4) Candid, forthright quality (13) Word’s unit of pronunciation (8) Slow‑moving terrestrial mollusc (4) Tropical fruit 13

containing many hard seeds (5)

To the point where (5)

All’s Well

That ___ Well,

Shakespeare play (4) Wooden cabin at the seaside (5,3) One who buys and sells old metal (5,8) Stage between childhood and adulthood (11)

9

10

12

14

15

19

20

22

24

DOWN 2

3

4

5 6

No longer alight, extinguished (3) Ointment to prevent lower facial chapping (3‑5)

The ___ Lads, old sitcom (6) Desire or need (4) Sea creature with a carapace (9)

7

8

11

16

17

18

21

23

Search for underground water (5)

Way in which a word or phrase is employed (5) Transferred (money) illegally (9) Vehicle often ridden by clowns in circuses (8) Midnight ___, food after bedtime (5) Alcove set back in the wall (6)

One of the fifty constituent parts of the USA (5) Milky‑coloured precious stone (4) Joan of ___, French national heroine (3)